January 25, 2010

Defender

A week or so ago, I was browsing through various threads on The Forum, I re-discovered a certain thread called "A Song for Rose" in which members could post songs that they thought fit all or any part of Regina's book "Waking Rose".  The gentleman who started the thread had posted the lyrics to a song called 'Defender", a song that he thought could have been written for Waking Rose.  At the time I was in browse mode, so I didn't really read the lyrics, merely skimmed his comments and went on to the next page.

A few days later on my friend's blog, I read a post that she did about some songs that she added to her playlist.  "Defender" was one of them.  Again, at the time I didn't pay much attention to it, though I think I might have actually gone and skimmed the lyrics.  A bit later, I was working on some project or another, wanted some music to listen to, was tired of the music on my blog and so decided to listen to the music on my friend's blog.  As long as I was listening to music, I found the song "Defender" and listened to it.

All I can say is: What a song!  It isn't exactly the style I listen to all the time (and having taken a peek at their albums, I won't necessarily recommend them) , but it's an amazing song none the less.  The lyrics are from the point of view of a young man who's love is, we're assuming, in a coma.

They say this cause is lost
And she will not return to me
They say that she is gone
And this is just a shell unliving



What I love the most about this song - in addition to it being the perfect theme song for "Waking Rose" - is the nobleness, the hope, the chivalry that it contains.

And through the dark of the morning
She fades, but I will not leave here
Fight back the demons around us
Love lives, and I will defend her


While I would love to give you all a link to a YouTube video with this song I'm afraid that there are none that I would enjoy recommending.  So instead, you can go HERE to read the lyrics, and to listen to this song, all you have to do is go down to St. Cecilia's Music Box.  I just added it, so it should be the song on the bottom of the list.



January 23, 2010

Teen Girls Daybook

Date... January23rd, 2010
Starting time... 11:09 AM
Mood... fairly normal
Outside my window... no windows, I am in the basement
I'm thinking... that I need to stop being distracted and work on my I&F articles
I'm reading... I Kissed Dating Good-Bye by Joshua Harris
I'm listening to... sweet silence
I'm wearing... black skirt and black/gray striped sweater
Yesterday, I... celebrated my sister's birthday!
I'm excited for... going to the FTN get-together in June!
I'm sad because... I can't go now
I'm hungry for... glazed pecans
The song stuck inside my head is... "White Liar" by Miranda Lambert.  ICK!  *shoots the radio*
I want... to meet my "forum family"
I love... my sister
I loathe... songs that get stuck in my head
This week, my goal is... work on FAFSA or whatever it's called
Did I meet last week's goal?... Gah, don't ask
Ending time... 11:13 AM

January 20, 2010

First Ever Virtual March for Life!



From the AUL Action comes the first ever Virtual March for Life!  This is perfect for those of us who would love to go to the March, but can't make it there in person.  To join the ranks of 39+ Pro-Lifers Marching online, all you have to do is follow this link: http://www.virtualmarchforlife.com/



January 18, 2010

I Could Have Danced All Night

Finally, it was Saturday, the day of the Annual Daddy-Daughter Ball, a night that Rose and all of the other girls in the homeschooling group had been looking forward to for weeks now.  It was the night when they all dressed up in their very best, did their hair in elegant twists, braids and curls and went out for a special night with their fathers and friends.  A night of dancing, food, friends and fun.

That morning was spent in a flurry of preparations.  As soon as Rose awoke, she went to the kitchen and began to make the dessert, munching on various bagels and handfuls of cereal for breakfast in between.  That finished, Rose proceeded to do her usual Saturday cleaning chores, which her mother strangely insisted must be done.  About noon, Rose began to curl her two of her sister's hair while the rest donned their ball gowns.  Hair curling finished, Rose put on her gold 'Cinderella' gown, brushed on her makeup, selected some jewelry and rushed out the door.



This year her mother was the official photographer, and as Rose's father had gone earlier to fix the lighting and backdrop, the girls rode with their mother to the ball.  They were also going early, so the other two girls and Rose could have their hair done and so Rose could assist with doing the hair.  They arrived, parking next to a car with a license plate from MI.  Rose briefly wondered who could be here from MI, but shrugged it off as someone's relative who happened to be visiting.

The girls secured their purses and dishes, wondering why their mother insisted on them all walking in together.  Yaviel had not heard this instruction and had gone in ahead, resulting in frustrated sighs from Mother and questions from Rose that went unanswered.  Yet they did not suspect a thing.

As they walked in, Rose and her sisters were greeted by friends who were there doing hair and having their hair done.

"Oh, where is Kathleen?" friend Sarah, inquired.

"Ummm, right there," Rose said, slightly puzzled as Kathleen walked in behind her.

"Oh, I'll take your coats!" another friend offered, grabbing Yaviel's coat.  Rose thought this a little odd, and went to hang up her own coat.  She had nearly reached the coat rack when seemingly out of no where, a vision of her dear friend Vicki stepped out and said "Hi guys!"

Rose stopped and stared.  What on earth?  That wasn't Vicki... Vicki lived up in MI... that was Vicki!  Then Vicki's sister Hannah stepped smiling from the Lady's 'Power Room'.  Half dropping, half throwing her purse and coat (and in the process breaking her fan) Rose shrieked Vicki's name and threw herself on her friend, as Yaviel and Kathleen yelled and threw themselves at Hannah.

For several minutes, all Rose could do was just hug her friend and cry and stammer out "How?" You're" "Vicki!"  Eventually the story of Hannah and Vicki's miraculous appearance came out.  Two weeks prior to the ball, Claire - the main hairdresser for the ball - had been wishing for a helper who really knew how to do hair.  Someone like... Vicki.

"Well, why not invite her to the ball?" was Claire's mother's reply.  So off an e-mail was sent, and a reply came back saying that the girls and their dad would be happy to come down for the ball.  At that point, some brilliant angel had the wonderful idea of having the visit be a surprise for Rose, Kathleen and Yaviel.

And indeed, a surprise it was.  For hours the initial surprise, Rose continued to look over at her friends, still marveling at how this all came about.  Yaviel periodically giggled while she had her hair done.  It was all too wonderful to be true!

Rose also had the pleasure of surprising someone that night.  Several months ago, Rose realized how much her friends Vicki and Jo March had in common and decided that even if they couldn't meet in real life, they should at least get to know each other via e-mail and promptly ordered them to become pen pals.  (She was successful).

Jo came in a while later and went over to give Rose a hug as she was holding a container of bobby pins for Vicki.  Jo semi-glanced at Vicki on her way over, but it was not until  Jo was in the middle of starting to give Rose a hug when she stopped, did a double take, and said "Wait... you're Vicki!"  And so at last, the two were able to meet.

The rest of the night was a glorious blur of dancing and bliss.  Rose danced nearly every dance, enjoying especially the dances with her father.  This was Rose's first time dancing in her first pair of high heels, and she was very pleased to discover that she could indeed dance polkas, the Cotton Eyed Joe and just dance safely with heels three inches high.  Vicki, Hannah, Rose, Yaviel, Kathleen, Mystica, His Little Butterfly and Jo all took a 'forum family' photo. 


At one point that night, "Love Story meets Viva la Vida" was played and the girls stood in the middle of the dance floor, singing along at the tops of their lungs and making up dance moves to the rest of the song.  Later, Rose and her fellow seventeen-year-olsd took their annual group photo shoot.

At last, the clock struck nine thirty - or something like that - and the ball drew to a close.  The final dance was played and heads bowed for the final prayer.  Then the hall burst out again in noise as everyone participated in taking down the decorations and cleaning up the room.  Little by little, farewells were given and the families departed.

For Rose, Yaviel, Kathleen, Vicki and Hannah though, the party still went on.  When they arrived at the house, the girls were promptly given a tour of the house - the bedrooms, the upstairs, the finished basement and...

"You guys have a BAR!" Hannah couldn't believe her eyes.  "Oh man, I need pictures of this!"

Once the excitement of discovering the bar had died down, the girls played around with the video effects on Hannah's FBI laptop and eventually fell asleep. 


As Rose lay on the floor, trying to ignore Yaviel, who was talking to herself, she thanked God for the wonderful blessings she had been given that day.  It hadn't started out so well, her knees and ankles had hurt before she even got to the dance and she had been feeling a little down because she didn't think she looked that good at all.  The dress looked weird... her face looked blotchy... her hair looked blah... the typical nonsensical woes of any teenage girl, silly but potentially harmful to a good evening.  Yet she had been saved by the love of her parents and her friends.  She fell asleep happy, and thankful and she could have danced all night.

January 14, 2010

YAHOOOOO!!!!!!

A deer!  A deer!  My dad just got a DEER!!! A BUCK!!!! HIS FIRST DEER EVER IN TWO YEARS OF HUNTING AND IT'S A BUCK!!!!!!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 9, 2010

Teen Girls Daybook



Date... Saturday, January 9th, 2010
Starting time... 11:15 AM
Mood... cold
Outside my window... er, metal from the window well
I'm thinking... That this basement is cold!
I'm reading... Buried Treasures of the Ozarks and Appalachian Mountains, quite fascinating
I'm listening to... My siblings yelling at the Wii Sports game
I'm wearing... A yellow top and denim skirt
Yesterday, I... learned a few ballroom dance steps from my friends!
I'm excited for... Tomorrow, it's the Pro-Life Mass at the Cathedral
I'm sad because... I can't go to the March for Life =(
I'm hungry for... that really good nut mix
The song stuck inside my head is... Loreley, Blackmore's Night
I want... my hands to be warm
I love... crafting stories in my head
I loathe... chapped lips
This week, my goal is... to accomplish last weeks goal
Did I meet last week's goal?... *blushes* no
Ending time... 11:18 AM


January 2, 2010

Teen Girls Daybook

First though...

Happy 2010!!!!!!

Date... Saturday, January 2, 2010
Starting time... 2:45 PM
Mood... restless
Outside my window... Not much since I'm in the basement.  But earlier there were SIX DEER just walking through our yard!
I'm thinking... that I am cold
I'm reading... The King of Attolia =)
I'm listening to... my sibs playing Mario Kart Wii
I'm wearing... this cool shirt I got for Christmas and my green parts (pant/skirt)
Yesterday, I... Went to Mass for the feast of Theotokos (can't remember the English name, go figure!) and read and relaxed
I'm excited for... friends coming over later today and the new changes on The Forum!
I'm sad because... Monday I start school again. =P
I'm hungry for... fudge
The song stuck inside my head is... no song at the moment!
I want...a tea party
I love... music!
I loathe... school
This week, my goal is... start looking for a job
Did I meet last week's goal?... *cough* 
Ending time... 2:50 PM